Malfunction
by Balek
Summary: The TB2 launch system in TAG is pretty impressive, especially the bit where the harness releases Virgil at the precise moment to let him swing off the end of the rail. But, as with all technology, things can, and will go wrong.


"Scott, launch Thunderbird 1! Virgil, you and Gordon in Thunderbird 2! Go now!"

John's hologram had barely appeared in the middle of the table before he started issuing orders. Something major was happening.

"F.A.B." Scott replied, jumping up from the sofa, Gordon in sync with him. On the balcony above, Virgil dropped his paintbrush and turned, the thought of whether to jump over the railing flashing through his mind. Instead he opted to slide down the bannister.

"What's up, John?" He asked as he walked towards the the picture of the rocket on the wall, behind which his Bird's launch tube was hidden.

"Massive landslide in Hong Kong. Right in the middle of town. Buildings have collapsed all over the place and hundreds of people are trapped. And to top it all off, the ground is still unstable."

"Meaning a chance of more landslides. Great..." Virgil concluded. "Let's go." He looked around the spacious lounge. Thunderbird 1's wall panel had already flipped around, meaning Scott was on his way, and Gordon too had disappeared, hopefully into the elevator that took extra passengers straight into Thunderbird 2. An effective, if boring, way of getting into the aircraft. The pilot, however, had a much more exciting way of getting down there.

Leaning back on the picture, he activated the mechanism. He tilted his head back as his whole body was lifted horizontally, his stomach still turning slightly as his feet went higher than his head. He didn't think he'd ever get completely used to that sensation. And then, once he was practically upside down, he slid into the harness waiting for him underneath, and he couldn't help his excitement as he picked up speed. After all, no matter how many times he launched, it was still great fun.

He shot down the launch tube, the robotic arms around him piecing his uniform onto him. First, the main suit, then his equipment sash, armbands, and finally, his boots. Now, feeling dressed for the job, he braced himself for the best bit. With a hiss, the robotic arms disengaged, leaving him to continue speeding down the launch tube. Following the rail it was attached to, the harness spun around, making Virgil feel like he was flying, which technically, he was. He looked up towards the light rapidly approaching at the end of the tunnel, through which he could see the end of the rail extending outwards, positioning the handle he'd use to swing off into Thunderbird 2 over her open hatch, a manoeuvre he had performed many times.

He popped out of the launch tube into the silo, and he lifted his arms, ready to grab the handle. But, just then, a familiar click behind his back made his heart skip a beat. No, not yet! The harness had released him way too early!

He felt gravity take a hold of him and he cursed loudly as he plummeted downwards. Taken by surprise, he had no time to prepare himself and he belly-flopped full-force straight onto Two's back, knocking the breath completely out of him. But he didn't stop there, his forward momentum meant he continued to slide over the green metal, and winded as he was , he failed to stop himself in time to avoid the open access hatch. He pitched in head-first, flipped mid-air, and landed with a resounding thud onto the flight deck.

"Ouch! That had to hurt!" Gordon said, regarding the groaning heap by his feet. Unfortunately for Virgil, the elevator had deposited the Aquanaut on the flight deck just in time for him to come hurtling in.

"It did..."

"You ok?" Gordon asked. By his feet, Virgil nodded as he caught his breath. Offering a hand, Gordon hauled his brother back onto his feet. "What happened?"

"Harness dropped me too early. I hit Two's back and then slid in here." Virgil replied, groaning slightly as he straightened out his spine. He was thankful he hadn't done himself any serious damage."

"Ooh, ouch." Gordon winced in sympathy. "How high up were you?"

"High enough..." Virgil sat down in his seat, perhaps a bit more gingerly than he would have liked. Gordon made himself comfortable in the co-pilots chair next to him. "Brains?"

"Yes, Virgil?" Brains asked, his hologram popping up on the dashboard.

"Could you look at the harness in Thunderbird 2's launch tube? It disengaged a bit too early and I almost missed the swing off."

"A-ah, that's not good. I'll get right on that."

"Thanks, Brains." Virgil flicked off the communications link, then noticed that his brother was looking at him funny. "What?"

"Why didn't you tell him what really happened?"

The pilot shrugged. "No need, he'll fix it anyhow. Besides, he'd only feel guilty if he knew the truth, he designed the tech after all.

"Fair enough." Gordon shrugged. He frowned slightly when Virgil rubbed at the back of his neck. "Are you sure you're ok? You took quite a fall. Twice, I might add. You haven't broken something or punctured a lung or anything, have you?"

Virgil rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Honestly Gordon, you're as bad as Scott. I just got up a little close and personal with Thunderbird 2, that's all. I've done worse on rescues."

"But..." Gordon started to say something, but was cut off my a wave from Virgil.

"And before you ask," The pilot said as he started the engines. "I am still perfectly capable of flying this thing.

"Shame... I wanted to drive."

Virgil couldn't help but smile at that. "Over my dead body! Now shut up and belt up, we're running late."


End file.
